Former Sydney restaurateur Mark Caleo guilty of soliciting the murder of wife Rita

A woman murdered in her Sydney eastern suburbs unit almost 30 years ago, predicted her husband would take her life.

Mark Caleo was today found guilty of organising the hit in Double Bay on Rita Caleo, 39 even though they weren’t told about the chilling piece of evidence tendered in earlier proceedings.

Mrs Caleo left the document with her solicitor and instructed it only be opened if her death was deemed unnatural, less than a year after her brother Dr Michael Chye was shot dead outside his Woolhara home.

Rita Caleo and her brother Michael Chye were murdered less than a year apart. (AAP) (AAP)

“In the event that my death is unnatural, direct the investigation to my husband Mark Caleo and Rick Damelian of Rick Damelian Used Cars. P’matta. My brother's death is also their doing,” she said.

“Please don’t let Mark get away with it.”

The letter signed by Rita Caleo. (9news)

Mrs Caleo had just thrown a dinner party for some of her closest girlfriends when she climbed the stairs of her Double Bay townhouse.

The 39-year-old was probably getting ready for bed, taking off the expensive jewellery she loved, when an intruder walked in.

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A nanny who was sleeping with two children in another room heard her cry out and went to investigate.

She found her boss on the bathroom floor; Mrs Caleo wasn't breathing.

Mark Caleo has been found guilty of soliciting his wife's murder. (AAP) (AP/AAP)

Around that time Alani Afu ran outside and jumped into a getaway car, puffing as he yelled: "I stabbed her, I stabbed her."

Mrs Caleo's husband had paid him to carry out that hit and make it look like a robbery gone wrong.

The Crown alleged he did so because his wife had found out he was having an affair and she had cut him out of her substantial will.

But the NSW Supreme Court jury was not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he also ordered the execution of Rita's brother Dr Michael Chye, who was shot dead outside his Woollahra garage just 10 months earlier.

Rita was stabbed to death inside her home. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

A jury took just over a week to find Caleo guilty of soliciting his wife’s murder.

But they weren’t convinced he ordered the hit on his brother-in-law and acquitted him of that charge.

The brothers-in-law were in the midst of an argument over the sale of Dr Chye’s Blakehurst properties for $3 million.

While giving evidence he came up with new allegations that Dr Chye was involved with the Triads, that he wasn’t having an affair because his love interest had herpes and that an ex-boyfriend might be to blame for his wife’s death.